What Happened to Ülkücü Mafia (Grey Wolves / Idealist Hearths)?

The Ülkücü Mafia, more widely recognized as the Grey Wolves (Bozkurtlar) or officially as Idealist Hearths (Ülkü Ocakları), emerged in the late 1960s as the youth wing of Turkey's far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), founded by Alparslan Türkeş. Rooted in ultranationalist, pan-Turkist, and often neo-fascist ideologies, the movement gained notoriety in the late 1970s for its involvement in widespread political violence, engaging in urban guerrilla warfare and numerous assassinations against left-wing and liberal activists, Kurds, and Alevis. Key incidents include the Maraş massacre in 1978 and alleged involvement in the 1977 Taksim Square massacre.

Following the 1980 military coup, the MHP and Grey Wolves were banned, and many members were imprisoned. However, the movement persisted, with figures like Mehmet Ali Ağca, a former Grey Wolf, attempting to assassinate Pope John Paul II in 1981. A significant turning point in exposing the group's criminal ties was the 1996 Susurluk scandal, which revealed deep connections between Turkish security forces, politicians, and organized crime figures, including Grey Wolves leader Abdullah Çatlı. This scandal highlighted how elements within the 'deep state' allegedly utilized ultranationalist groups for illicit activities.

Under Devlet Bahçeli, who assumed MHP and Grey Wolves leadership in 1997, the organization claimed to have reformed, yet its ties to organized crime have continued. Since 2018, the MHP has formed a crucial electoral alliance with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP), significantly increasing the political influence of ultranationalists within Turkey. This alliance has coincided with controversial releases of notorious mafia bosses with Grey Wolves affiliations, such as Alaattin Çakıcı and Kürşad Yılmaz, from prison in 2020-2021, raising concerns about state protection for criminal elements.

As of 2026, the Ülkücü Mafia and broader Turkish organized crime networks remain highly active, with a growing international footprint. European authorities are increasingly alarmed by the expansion of Turkish criminal groups across the continent, involved in drug trafficking (especially heroin and cocaine from Latin America), arms smuggling, and human trafficking. Turkey was ranked 10th globally and first in Europe in the 2025 Global Organized Crime Index, with its institutional resilience against crime described as weak. Several European countries have taken action; Austria banned the Grey Wolf salute in 2019, and France banned the organization in November 2020 due to hate speech and violent actions. In May 2021, the European Parliament called for EU member states to consider designating the Grey Wolves as a terrorist group.

The current status in 2026 reflects a complex interplay: the Ülkücü movement maintains political legitimacy and influence in Turkey through the MHP's alliance with the ruling AKP, while simultaneously being a significant force in transnational organized crime. Recent events in 2026 include an EU report calling for sanctions on Turkish officials and action against the Grey Wolves, which was strongly rejected by MHP leader Bahçeli. Turkish authorities have also conducted large-scale operations against various organized crime networks, such as the Barış Boyun and Alihan Kuris groups, in June and August 2026, respectively. However, critics argue that a permissive environment in Turkey, characterized by alleged political shielding and weakened law enforcement, continues to enable these criminal networks to thrive and export their activities, including internal turf wars, into Europe.